King Henry VI
King of England and various regions in France.
Henry is son of Henry V, a great warrior who won many lands in France, and it
has been prophesized that this son will lose the lands his father won. Henry
faces great difficulty with his advisors and nobles, many of whom are involved
in arguments with each other. Although young and inexperienced, he realizes
what damage may be reaped by such dissention among the lords. He marries a
French earl's daughter, Margaret, on the advice of Suffolk, though she does not
symbolize a politically advantageous match.
The Dauphin of France, Charles has
himself crowned king and tries to recapture his kingdom from Henry. When he
meets the warrior-woman Joan, he engages her in single combat but loses to her.
He then wants her to become his lover but she refuses. Charles wins back half
his former kingdom after a series of bloody battles, including one in which the
English nobleman Talbot dies. However, following this moderate gain, Charles
desists in his campaign and agrees to make peace with the English, in order to
spare his people from further slaughter.
Named Protector of the English Realm,
Gloucester manages the kingdom until Henry is old enough to rule. He and
Winchester disagree, and their serving men fight each other in street brawls.
Yet Gloucester and Winchester agree to stop fighting, temporarily, over the
course of the play.
Head of the English church
and nemesis of Gloucester. Winchester accuses Gloucester of wanting to be the
sole advisor to Henry, to control him, and eventually to take over the kingdom
from him. He grudgingly agrees to get along with Gloucester temporarily, but by
the end of the play he purchases the title of cardinal, swearing that no one
will have more power in the kingdom than he.
Although his father once had claims
to the throne, the young Richard Plantagenet lost all noble titles when his
father was put to death. Plantagenet disagrees with Somerset about a point of
law, and they each pick a different color rose as emblems of their opposing
viewpoints, Plantagenet choosing the white rose, Somerset the red. Later he
asks his imprisoned uncle Mortimer about the reasons for his father's downfall.
Plantagenet asks the king to restore his titles, and the King Henry makes him
the Duke of York. In France, the argument between Somerset and York is
revealed, but the king urges them to make peace. He assigns York to control the
English troops in France, where his disagreement with Somerset proves fatal
when Somerset delays in sending him reinforcements. York is unable to aid
Talbot without these extra troops, and Talbot dies.
General of the English troops in France,
Talbot is so feared by the French that, when he is captured, they have archers
guard him even while he sleeps. After being released, he conquers many towns
and fortifications in France, until he encounters Joan. Joan breaks the
Britons' siege on Orléans, but Talbot still beats the French several more
times, until he is trapped at Bordeaux, where he and his son John are killed.
Talbot represents a dying breed of noble chivalrous soldiers fighting for the
honor of king and country. When he falls, the last of a valorous line dies out.
Also known as Joan la Pucelle or Joan
of Arc, Joan is a French maiden who comes to Charles with reports of her
visions of the future of France. She says she will lead his troops in breaking
the Britons' siege on Orléans, and her words prove true. Thereafter she aids
the French troops in several battles. Before a battle with York and Somerset,
she calls to her demons for advice but they refuse to speak to her. Then she is
captured by York and put on trial. She tries to save herself by claiming she is
a virgin, then saying she is pregnant, but the British burn her at the stake.
Somerset is an English lord who argues with
Richard Plantagenet, later known as York. Their disagreement dates from a scene
in the Temple Garden when they both pick roses to signify their opposite sides
in a legal argument. Somerset chooses the red rose, Plantagenet the white.
Later, in France, Somerset's dislike for York endangers the English campaign
when he delays sending cavalry to York. Without these reinforcements York is
unable to back Talbot in battle, and Talbot dies.
Suffolk is an English lord
who captures Margaret after the French are defeated and is so impressed with
her that he is determined to woo her. But he is married, so he woos her for
Henry, and then convinces Henry to marry her. Thus, the new queen is a woman he
has handpicked--a woman with whom he is intimate, a woman over who trusts and
listens to him: Suffolk plans to influence the British reign by way of this
connection.
Richard Plantagenet's uncle, Mortimer has been
imprisoned in the Tower of London for years because of his claim to the English
throne; Henry's allies have wanted him out of the way. Mortimer tells
Plantagenet about this claim but urges him to forget about it because the
ruling party is immovable.
Although a French lord,
Burgundy fights with Talbot's English forces. However, Joan convinces him to
return to the French. His departure from the scene of the battle leaves Talbot
weakened, and the French are able to kill Talbot in his next battle.
An English general, Bedford
rushes off to France to help Talbot at the beginning of the play. Later, at
Rouen, he is nearly too old and ill to lead his forces. Yet he does lead them,
issuing verbal directions from his chair, and the English win; Bedford dies
content.
A French lord who fights with
Charles
A French lord who opposes Charles. Also
Margaret's father.
A French lord who quarrels with
Charles and first introduces Joan to him.
An English lord, Exeter becomes a kind of
commentator, remaining behind at the end of scenes after everyone else has
exited and remarking on the problems caused by internal dissention and strife
in England and abroad.
An English lord, Warwick is called
on to serve as judge on various issues, including the dispute between Somerset
and Richard Plantagenet and, later, Joan's trial.
An English soldier killed
during the siege of Orléans
An English soldier who meets his
death in the siege of Orléans
An English soldier who fights
at the siege of Orléans
One of Somerset's men, Vernon resents Basset
because Bassett serves the Duke of York, Somerset's nemesis in a dispute over a
point of law. Vernon and Basset ask King Henry to allow them to fight it out.
Thus, the noblemen's disagreement trickles down to their employees.
One of York's men, Basset
gets in a fight with Vernon because he serves York's nemesis Somerset, and the
two men ask the king to allow them to fight it out. Thus, the noblemen's
disagreement trickles down to their employees.
Sir William Lucy is a messenger sent by Talbot
to ask York and Somerset for reinforcements. He scolds both men when they are
unable to come to Talbot's aid.
Talbot's son, John desires to
learn the art of war from his father but arrives on the battlefield in Bordeaux
at just the wrong moment. Talbot urges him to flee rather than be killed in the
ensuing fight, since the English are doomed, but John refuses. He says to flee
would disgrace the family name; he stays and fights and dies with his father.
René's daughter, captured by
Suffolk. Suffolk is so impressed with her beauty that he convinces Henry to
marry her even though her father has no money and only a minor title.
This French woman lures Talbot to her castle,
planning to capture him so the French troops can win. But Talbot travels with
an army and cannot be so easily trapped.
A coward, Fastolf is an
English soldier who repeatedly flees the scene of battle when he fears for his
life. Talbot curses Fastolf for lacking the valor and honor of the old
generation of knights.
Woodville is the lieutenant or head warden of
the Tower of London. Winchester has ordered him to bar Gloucester from
entering.
The Mayor of London has his
hands full with all the struggles between Winchester and Gloucester's men in
the streets of the city. He orders them to not fight with weapons, so they
revert to throwing rocks.
A French soldier who helps
Joan bring down the British siege at Orléans
The Master Gunner's son, the
boy helps bring down the British siege at Orléans
The Governor of Paris
The General of Bordeaux
Joan's probable father. When
he is brought to her trial, Joan denies she has such low parentage and the
shepherd leaves, urging the English to burn her, as hanging is too mild a
punishment.
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